@chalkprinze -- ;
feeling almost defeated , on the bitter end of an attack , completely taken by surprise , wincing under his breath ; he'd have to blame the unfamiliar terrain — wholly dissimilar with more ordinary lands such as mondstadt , or even liyue . inazuma was vastly different to what he was used to ; it was exciting , that's why his research brought him there — to run into a problem such as this was expected . what wasn't expected however , was help from an unfamiliar , slightly intimidating face — albedo didn't exactly scream that he needed help , but it certainly wasn't frowned down upon , even in his own ginger & cautious way .
" ah , it appears you've come to my rescue. " with his expression characteristically flat , he's already standing up again , gloved palms brushing down the front of the fabric of his shorts , dusting dirt off ; mildly embarrassed that he'd been caught like this . " hilichurls . . . " speaking with usual deadpan, he clears his throat , glancing to the easel that had surely been knocked over within the process of his attack . " awfully boring in fact , but evidently they know how to pack a punch . " he's sure to catch her gaze then , a small part of him hopeful that she'd pick up on his grateful demeanor , hidden behind his guarded nature .
d r i p . ah , a line of blood runs from his nose and hits the ground ; he was always susceptible to nosebleeds , especially within battle . looking away from her only briefly , he brings the back of a hand to his nose ; to at least stop the flow for now . of course . his handkerchief was nowhere to be found . how fitting .
" . . . you wouldn't have a spare tissue , would you ? "
“I do, but I have something better. Just give me a second.” Said without much hesitance or inflection, Shinobu manifested an Electro-based kunai and lobbed it within a patch of tall seagrass growing nearby. Although it wasn’t an orthodox means of healing someone, but as the grasses withered and browned, a green aura with harmless sparks enveloped the blond and likely brought enough regeneration to at least cease the bleeding. Although he didn’t appear to be severely injured, a bloodied cloth would likely come as an inconvenience if it had to keep being applied. That, and Shinobu didn’t doubt that it would be easier in case other enemies came along that could scent blood would seek it as a window of opportunity, however little was actually shed. Once the healing concluded, the barb fizzled away in sparks.
“Don’t mention it,” the kunoichi continued as she handed off a kerchief that was thankfully clean from within a lapel pocket, likely a scrap from a recent tailoring gig the other day. It served a purpose now, at least. Still, of all the places she’d find herself meeting someone from Mondstadt (if his accent was anything to go by), a nocturnal mission at the beginning of twilight wasn’t one of them. Still, with Amakane Island within view, Kuki didn’t doubt the view could serve inspiring for a painter. With the horizon washed in streaks of violet, mango, and a vivid pink deepening into scarlet, and the ocean that reflected those hues in a distorted mirror, the mystical scene of thunder sakura was enchanting even for someone as no-nonsense and serious as herself.
“Not the usual place you expect to find hilichurls, but you seem able to defend yourself. I doubt I needed to intervene.” With his bladework and Geo Vision like the Boss’, and if his uniform was anything to go by, she didn’t doubt the statement rang true. A compliment despite how dryly it was delivered.
“Guess the view makes it worth it.”